When she wrote Which Witch is Which? way back in 1973, Beth McMaster was no doubt confident that she had penned an entertaining children’s musical that would capture the attention of its target audience and keep it from start to finish.
Still, the Peterborough playwright couldn’t have then predicted her musical’s staying power — that it would, more than five decades later, return to the Guild stage for a fourth time after being performed at venues across North America and beyond.
But here we are, with Which Witch is Which? opening a seven-show run on Friday, December 4 as the third offering of the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s 2026-27 season.
McMaster’s great-grandchildren will experience her work for the first time
If that’s not enough to excite the woman who has seen more than 20 of her plays enthrall local audiences, the fact that four very special audience members — her great-grandchildren — will take in their great-grandmother’s work for the first time brings a discernible sparkle to her eyes.
“I was really anxious for them to see one of my plays,” recalls McMaster of her motivation for proposing to the Guild’s play selection committee that Which Witch is Which? return to the Rogers Street venue, where it was last staged some 25 years ago.
For those wondering if knowing someone still matters, McMaster says her special audience members, aged three to six, “have seats in the front row.”
Directed by Kevin O’Neill with music and lyrics by Monica Palmer, Which Witch is Which? takes its audience to The Scary School for Wicked Witches where magical mischief brings unexpected challenges and plenty of laughs.
Celebrating both individuality and teamwork, the story encourages audience participation, all of which helps the witches discover that their differences may very well be their greatest strength.
O’Neill says when he read the play for the first time, he was impressed by how well the story has withstood the test of time.
“Some adjustments were made — some of the language needed to be updated a little — but the play itself is pretty much exactly the way it was written,” he says.
He notes that, with the production’s all-female cast, the part of The Scary School for Wicked Witches superintendent is being played by a woman for the first time.
“It still holds up. Gender is not really that relevant to it.”
Kindness, friendship, and humour give the musical appeal across generations
O’Neill says “there are some really important moral messages,” including one that centres around “someone who’s striving to do what she thinks she’s meant to do, but then gradually realizes that she does value kindness, friendship, and beauty.”
“That’s kind of the tension. How do you make these choices? Who am I and what’s important in life?”
McMaster expands on that, noting “There is a message that you can change your mind if you decide to go another route … that it’s okay to pivot.”
Messages and themes aside, both McMaster and O’Neill say success lies in a fun experience being had by audience members. While Which Witch is Which? is promoted as a children’s play, McMaster makes it clear the musical’s storyline and themes hold appeal for all ages.
“An adult has to make the decision to bring that kid to the theatre,” says McMaster, adding “If you don’t make it attractive to adults as well, and they’re sitting there thinking ‘Oh God, why did I do this?’, that’s not good. So, there’s humour in the play aimed at adults.”
O’Neill says the play’s five-member cast — Kelly O’Dwyer-Manuel as Cleo, Alex Hodson as Sue, Mardi Kennedy as Superintendent Sneersby, Laura Kennedy as Kitch, and Emily Beamish as Hagfish — is “a nice small group” that well satisfies his desire to work collaboratively with them, both as individual actors and collectively.
One thing that’s a bit different for O’Neill is something that’s relatively rare: the playwright being present during rehearsals. If he’s feeling any added pressure due to that, O’Neill isn’t saying. Quite the contrary.
“I haven’t done much directing, so I do appreciate her being around to consult,” he says, adding “She’s pretty conscious of not piping up during rehearsals, but she will ask questions, which is great.”
An introduction to live theatre that could inspire young audience members
With a total run time of 55 minutes with no intermission, Which Witch is Which? is well suited for children (and adults) with shorter attention spans.
That said, McMaster says “There is so much activity going on in the show, I don’t think there’ll be any trouble holding them for that length of time. Kevin has so much action going on and much attention being paid to the kids; he’s pulling them into the show.”
For his part, O’Neill is thrilled to be part of what, for many young audience members, will be their first time experiencing live theatre. And then there’s the very real possibility that what a young person sees, hears, and feels during a performance will provide a springboard for what’s to come.
“A perfect example is Paul Crough,” notes McMaster, referring to the local veteran actor. “His mother took him to see a production here at the Guild when he was seven or eight and he said, ‘That’s what I want to do.'”
While there’s no denying the importance of younger people coming up through the ranks, be it with the Guild or any other theatre company, the steady and guiding hand of experience will always have its place of distinction.
In that sense, McMaster, who played a leading role in the founding and opening of Peterborough’s Showplace Performance Centre 30 years ago, checks way more boxes than most.
A memorable encounter with a Grammy award winner reveals the lasting influence of McMaster’s musical
And if she has ever wondered just what influence her work has had, an encounter at the 2023 Pathway of Fame induction ceremony with inductee Greg Wells, a Peterborough-born Grammy award-winning producer based in Los Angeles, spoke volumes in that regard.
“I introduced myself to him and said I was involved with the theatre guild. He said ‘My mom took me to all the children’s plays there. The best one I ever saw was Which Witch is Which? Do you know anything about it?’ I said, ‘As a matter of fact, I wrote it.'”
“He wrote a long piece on his blog that goes out to three million people or something about having met me. He said when he was doing (the soundtrack for) Wicked, Which Witch is Which? came to his mind. That’s pretty special.”
Produced by Pat Hooper with assistance from McMaster, Which Witch is Which? runs for seven performances from December 4 to 13, with 7:30 p.m. evening performances on December 4, 9 and 11 and 1:30 p.m. matinee performances on December 5, 6, 12, and 13.
Tickets cost $20 or $15 for those under 18 and are available in person at the box office at 364 Rogers Street on Wednesday and Fridays from 6 to 8 p.m. and one hour before curtain on performance dates, by calling 705-745-4211 (leave a message if the box office is not open), or online at www.peterboroughtheatreguild.com/upcoming-plays/which-witch-is-which. Educators interesting in daytime school shows should call the box office.
Other members of the play’s creative team are stage manager Hayley Griffin, music director Marion Griffin, choreographer Julie Fallis, and vocal consultant Kate Suhr.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Peterborough Theatre Guild’s 2026-27 season.
